Audi Melges 20 Sailing Series 2010: Is it Still Value Team?

Lerici, April 15, 2010 - After the debut season of the Melges 32 class, this weekend of the Audi Sailing Series is reserved for the Audi Melges 20 fleet.

After the first year of the Audi Melges 20 feet the design, quality and value of the fleet has grown exponentially. A rainbow of successful accomplishments and challenges wait for them at the end of July with the Stadium of Sailing in Malcesine.

The name on everyone's lips is Value Team, this is inevitably their time to win, the crew of Benedetto Giallongo that was the uncontested ruler of the 2009 season (4 wins and a second place in 5 stages). A lot has changed regarding the adversaries around Value Team, considered till now the benchmark in terms of performances, speed and reading of the regatta from anyone who wants to head for success and the question that it circulates on the dock is if the king will always be ITA 112 (with confirmation that Francesco Scarselli will helm and Enrico Fonda as tactician).

Value Team will not sleep peacefully until the fleet has clasped the throne on Saturday in Lerici.

The first one not to be able to hide his own ambitions is Luca Domenici, helmsman of the Notaro Team (formerly Manifesto), whose last year was an indigestible morsel for Benedetto Giallongo and the other men. They had a record of consecutive wins which was broken by Domenici, but this should only strengthen the crew who is joined by tactician Andrea Casale. The Notaro Team however will not be the only danger from which the future champion will look.

Hulk has already shown their muscles (first Pasquavela) and simply, in numbers. Unfortunately for expert owner Stefano Di Properzio that brings Lorenzo Bressani, tactician to possible victory in any class. The Melges 32 fleet will also be joining the party, bring with them fantastic racing names of Lanfranco Cirillo (with victory from the first step of the Melges 32 circuit and as always with Dede De Luca on board), Carlo Alberini's Calvi Network (with to Gabriel Benussi), Bitipi's Savino Formentini (with Enrico Pucci) and Thule's Fausto Rubbini (with Matteo Ivaldi).

Sei Tu 20's Marco Morina , Stig's Alessandro Rombelli, Bela Vita's Alessandro Molla, Turnover's Renato Vallivero. 3Menda's Federico Albano and crew got a rise out of Trouble Makers' Luisa Bambozzi who are some of the veterans of the fleet. Some names to keep an eye on are Federico Strocchi on Cheyenne (with Hugo Rocha), Francesco Farnetti on Reggini Sailing Team (tactician Branko Brcin), Manfredi Vianini Tolomei on Maolca (with Lorenzo Bodini) to name a few.